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Nuclear warning
4a departure'
The timing of a
warning made by the
French Navy, indic
ative of plans to resume
nuclear testing in the
South Pacific, is seen by
the Department of
Foreign Affairs in Can
berra as an unusual
departure from previous
programs to warn of
impending tests. .
The department has
asked the . Australian Em
bassy in Paris to in
vestigate the warning
which was reported on
Saturday by AAP-Rcutcr
in Tokyo.
According (o the news
agency, an official of the
Japanese Maritime Safety
Agency had said that a
French hydrographic re
port had been issued this
month similar to that is
sued last year before.
Franco set off five atmos
pheric nuclear blasts.
A maritime navigation
security zone had been set
up in the same waters as
last year, around Mururoa
Atoll.
There had been no in
dication as to when the
tests might resume.
Earlier this month,
when the new Australian
Ambassador to France,
Mr David Anderson,
presented his credentials to
President Pompidou, the
President made it clear
that France intended to
pursue its nuclear testing
in the South Pacific.
A Department of
Foreign Affairs spokesman
said in Canberra yesterday
however that the French
warning, if the news agen
cy report of it was correct,
had come at an unusual
time.
It had been customary
for the French to issue
such warnings in April
and May.
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